1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to caps for containers that store various particulate solids, and more particularly to container caps which have spouts which are capable of dispensing a measured amount of the particulate solid from the container.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The prior art teaches various container caps that are capable of dispensing a measured portion of a particulate solid from the container. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,985,274, Lubalin et al. teach a dispenser-cover adapted to replace caps on containers for particulate materials. According to Lubalin, a pre-determined volume of a particulate solid may be dispensed. In addition, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,144,989, Joy discloses a granular material dispenser which contains a fixed chamber with a divider for metering out particulate material. According to Joy, a single, pre-determined amount of material may be poured with each pouring step, while a baffle must be adjusted in order to change the amount of particulate material dispensed.
Despite the availability of such dispensers, it will be appreciated that there exists a need in the art for a simple, low-cost, measuring cap which enables a user to dispense various precisely measured amounts of particulate solid contents from an associated container, and which allows the user to adjust various measured dispensed amounts from a single spout. In addition, the foregoing prior art approaches fail to provide a dispenser in which material is easily transferred into the dispensing spout.